Darkness of the Heart
by Shunkaku Bu
Summary: It's a Cain and Riho fic. It's actual rating is a little higher, but not R.


*I do not own "Nightwalker" and I don't have any money for you to sue me for. This is all part of my warped imagination, so read at your own risk. Thank you.*  
  
Riho was alone in the office again, sort of sulking.  
  
Yayoi: Until learn more about your nature, you'll be more trouble than help. Just stay put.  
Riho: But-  
Shido: Yayoi's right this time.  
Guni: Little girls should know their place.  
  
So she had stayed, dusting and straightening up. "This is so boring."  
*Come to me.*  
"What?" *That voice,* she thought. Then she saw him in the doorway. "Cain?"  
"Yes, child. Come and learn of your immortal nature." He turned and walked out. Riho lingered a moment, then ran after him.  
  
"Riho?" Shido and Guni looked into the dark office, neither seeing the girl. "This is odd."  
"It seems our little secretary-oh, there she is." She lighted on the back of the couch on which the girl was sleeping. "She didn't even put on any coffee."  
"No." There was something different about her, but he couldn't figure out what it was. "I guess I'd better call it a night, too."  
"Yeah, you're not gonna get anymore work outta her tonight," Guni laughed.  
"Then you can lock up."  
"Hey!"  
Shido put her in the coffin as the urban fairy complained behind him. He joined the girl apprehensively. *Riho, what is it?*  
  
Yayoi threw the folder on his desk. "We have another vampire scare going around. Look at this."  
Shido sighed and removed his hat from his face. "Is this from Central?"  
"Yes. They want to be sure *you* weren't involved in it." She sat on the desk, leaning close to him. "You aren't, are you?"  
"Really." He opened the file. "Woah..."  
"Geez, gross. That was over a few nights, right?"  
"No. All three were found last night. There's usually not this much activity in one night, so the NOS believes it could be-"  
"Cain."  
"Huh?" Yayoi and Guni looked at him. "You think that guy has something to do with this?"  
"This was the way he was, but three people for himself..."  
"You think there's another vampire involved with him?" Guni looked from the picture to Shido.  
"Who could possibly help someone as sadistic as Cain?"  
Riho appeared in the office. "Here's your coffee, Miss Yayoi." She was as chipper as ever, but her face fell when she saw everyone's solemn looks. "What's going on?"  
"Nothing for a little twerp to worry about."  
"Little twerp? Look who's talking!" She and Guni began arguing again.  
"Ah, you two..." Shido sweatdropped.  
"Riho dear, you really should just-"  
"Try to learn more about my nature. All right." She whirled and left the office.  
"Do you think we should have told her, Shido?"  
"She knows enough to keep away from Cain," he stated.  
"He was the one who killed her after all," Guni interjected.  
"Besides, if he's behind this, we'll find out all too soon."  
"Well then," Yayoi said, "let's get to work."  
  
She was warm and the blood filled her mouth. "Now, not too much or it will do more harm than good."  
"Um...but why..."  
"Sh." Cain untied the red ribbon from her throat and ponytail. "Are you ready?"  
""Uh...oh..." Riho was pressed against him, her blood being taken again. It was ecstasy. She let herself slip into that not-quite-there state, the one she could explain. Her lips moved to his.  
"Now darling, are you ready for your lesson?" She pressed her face to his throat, a small growl escaping from her. "Yes, that first." He curled the hand still holding the ribbon around hers. Riho sunk her fangs into him again. Pure bliss.  
  
"It happened again," Shido stated angrily. This time he was at the scene and there was no doubt in his mind that this was Cain's handiwork. *Damn him. First me, then Riho, and now...who?*  
"Shido, look at this." He went over to where Yayoi was. "They found this under the bed." She held up a red ribbon.  
"It could be from one of the victims." Guni was perched faithfully on his shoulder.  
"No, this has Cain's blood on it, but..."  
"But what?"  
"He wanted me to find this, to let me know who's helping him."  
"Shido!" Yayoi and Guni yelled as he walked out.  
  
"Riho, where are you?"  
"Right here, Mr. Shido. What's wrong?"  
He looked at her. That feeling that something was different about her. "What..." Shido went to touch her, but she backed away.  
"Mr. Shido, please."  
Riho was suddenly in his arms. He wanted to protect her, to make sure no one would ever dare harm her. *If I didn't have to confront Cain,* he thought. "Riho...*  
"What's wrong, Mr. Shido?"  
"I don't want to get you involved if I don't have to." He kissed her forehead.  
"I'll be fine," she murmured.  
"I hope so." Shido released her. "I want you to promise you won't try to follow me."  
"I promise, Mr. Shido." He lifted her chin and she repeated her promise.  
"Thank you, Riho." The lavender-haired vampire glanced back once more before leaving.  
  
Cain knew his fledgling was watching him, but wouldn't him the satisfaction of turning around. "I knew it was you." The younger man paused for dramatic effect. "Cain! Even if you hadn't left this behind!" Shido threw the ribbon at him.  
He caught the length of cloth delicately between two fingers. "I assure you that I did no such thing. My companion, however...she may have wanted you to find it." Cain laughed.  
"Why are you doing this?"  
He turned, slowly, as if not to disturb his cape's position. "I spare you only because I once loved you."  
Shido looked abashed at the tense used. "Who is she and why are you doing-"  
"I answer to no one, Shido, especially not you. Remember that or the next time we meet, neither my companion's admiration nor my love for you will spare your life." He disappeared with a whirl of his cape.  
  
"Shido!"  
"Where's Riho?" He looked from Yayoi to Guni and back again.  
"We were just going to ask you that."  
"Alla her stuff is gone. We thought you might've-"  
"No. Dammit, where-"  
*My companion, however...she may have wanted you to find it.* The way he had said it, the way he had kept his cape from shifting to reveal anything.  
"What is it?"  
"It's Riho." Now he knew what had changed. The day before Yayoi had given him the case file Riho had worn the ribbon around her hair and throat. Then her eyes, once a shade of auburn, had became the golden amber of all new vampires' eyes. "He has Riho."  
"What?!"  
Shido was about to leave, but Yayoi stopped him. "It's almost dawn and you haven't fed in two days. Riho is safe, at least for now."  
"You're right." Silently, he swore that when night fell he would break the spell Cain had put on her.  
  
"Riho." She opened her eyes and saw Cain through the veil of her hair. "Do you wish to leave, darling?" He pulled her to him, letting their cool nude bodies touch.  
"No." It was the truth, but there were lingering doubts in her mind that she had made this choice of her own volition.  
"I simply asked you to come with me." He ran his hand very gently up her thigh. "I used no spells on you. You are far stronger than that." Cain kissed her deeply.  
"You cheat," she moaned against his ear. She ran her hands gingerly up and down his back. "But you're a very clever one."  
"It's a shame you wasted the beginning of your immortal life in ignorance." He continued to caress her.  
She smiled, letting her fangs sparkle. He brushed the hair away from her face with his free hand. Riho pushed her face into his throat. "Your mockery only makes me more determined to prove you wrong."  
  
The confrontation was nothing like Shido had expected. Cain appeared out of nowhere, as usual, but when he threw back his cape Riho was there. "Riho!"  
She stepped away from the blonde vampire. Her hair was loosely braided, the red ribbon at the end brushing delicately against her crimson dress. She said nothing.  
"Shido, what did you expect from her?"  
"I didn't think you'd stoop this low! Why do you keep doing this to Riho?"  
"I'm not doing anything to her." Calm as always, he gave a rueful little smile and glanced at Riho.  
"You're a coward, Cain!"  
"You think so?" Cain created a whip from his blood. "Are you certain you want to start this?"  
"If it will free Riho from your spell-"  
"She is under no spell."  
Riho looked from Cain to Shido and then to the sky. "Mr. Shido."  
He took a step towards her, not once taking his eyes off the blonde vampire. Shido asked, "What is it?"  
"You once told me I would hate you for making me what I am, but I don't. I don't have any regrets either." Then she began to run away.  
"Wait!"  
"You can call her back if you wish, just use your gifts."  
He wanted to talk to her, but if she was under Cain's hold he wouldn't be able to do so. He would try. "Riho, come back to me, remember me." She stopped, turned, and slowly began to walk back to him.  
"Now, can you keep her under your control or will she be able to break it, Shido?"  
"She hasn't been a vampire long enough to be able to do that." That one made him smile. Shido held out his hand to the girl. She took it and he pulled her to him. "Riho," he whispered. Suddenly he was thrown against a wall.  
Cain was smiling and Riho went to him. "I don't hate you, but I will never come back to you." The blonde man dropped his weapon, letting the girl wrap her arm around him. "You are so fond of your human heart, but you don't realize the emotions that come with it. Love is one of those emotions you seem not to be able to feel with that heart."  
"Riho, I-"  
"Shido, it is time to admit your failure and leave her to me."  
He held his side, registering the fact that he had hit the wall hard enough to have his ribs bruised. "This has nothing to do with that. You killed her just to-"  
"Just to get you back? Why would he let you take me in?" She let Cain pull her a little closer. "You would have let me die, wouldn't you? Just to save your precious human heart," Riho ended bitterly.  
"No, Riho. I couldn't have let that happen."  
She stepped away from Cain, pushed Shido down, and pressed his face to the ground with her foot in a second. "You could have. You were the only one I could count on after my parents were killed and what happened?" He tried to face her, but she pressed her foot down harder. "What happened?!?!"  
"Riho, please," Shido moaned. This was the worst part...the truth as they both knew it. He couldn't answer.  
"WHAT HAPPENED!?!?!?!?!" Blood tears streaked down her face.  
"Riho," he croaked. "I know trying...trying to push you away...was wrong...but I didn't want you hurt..."  
"But that's just what you did," she whispered. "Before I died...and then after..." Riho took her foot off of his face, moving it down over his heart. She pressed down again. "Now...how does it feel?"  
Shido felt the unbearable pressure on his chest. *How can she be this strong? It's only been two-*  
"ANSWER ME!"  
He screamed. "Shido!" Yayoi and Guni had appeared on the scene. "Get away from him, Riho!"  
She pressed down with all her strength, listening to his ribs crack. Then she moved back to where Cain was. "You still owe me the truth." Riho added bitterly, "Mr. Shido." She let Cain wrap his cape around her and they disappeared.  
"Shido, are you all right?"  
"Help me up, Yayoi." When she did, he stifled a scream. "Thanks."  
"It was Riho?" Guni asked. "She really went with him?"  
"Yes." Shido fainted against his sponsor.  
  
"Gently, darling." His golden hair lay over her reddish hair in a strange sort of veil. "That's enough." Cain pressed her back from him.  
"I want to finish it." She ran her hand through his hair. "I want to close this chapter as soon as possible."  
He lifted her face, Riho's eyes filled with blood tears. "Riho darling, if you do this, it must be soon."  
"I know." She leaned towards him and kissed his bare chest. "But I want to do this alone."  
"Of course." He lifted her up and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Now, the sun is about to rise. Do you want to share my coffin or would you like the time alone to think?"  
"What do you think?" Her breath was cool against his ear. Cain placed one arm under her bottom and one hand under her shirt on her smooth, cool back.  
"Hush now." They kissed again as he took her to their shared coffin.  
  
"Shido? Wake up, Shido."  
He moaned and blinked his eyes open. "Wha..." Shido couldn't breath well enough to speak. He touched his ribs and flinched.  
"Don't try to move too much or you'll hurt yourself more." Guni fluttered above him.  
"Did you try to get her back?"  
"Yes, but..." His voice was dry and husky.  
"Cain's hold on Riho is very strong, too strong for you to break?" the fairy offered.  
He turned away from Yayoi. "Shido?"  
"No. She...she wasn't..." Shido stopped to clear his throat. "She wasn't under any hold."  
"She did this...she did this willingly?"  
"I always knew she'd-" Yayoi flicked her in midsentence.  
"Shido."  
"Cain and Riho..." He reached out to touch her, but something caught in his throat and he dropped his hand. His chest hitched painfully as the tears fell down his cheeks. "I can't..."  
"Riho isn't a lost cause yet. Deep down, she still loves you. Otherwise you'd be dead by now." Yayoi touched his ribs.  
"Don't do that," he murmured.  
She stood up suddenly. "If you're going to sit here and mope, I won't come back here! Shido, get yourself together."  
"Geez, Yayoi, you're such a-"  
"She's right...you're right." Shido pushed himself up and went to the door. "I have to-"  
"Shido, watch out!"  
The door came open, knocking the lavender-haired vampire to the floor. Cain made his usual grand entrance. "Shido."  
The woman pulled out her gun. "Stay away from him!"  
"Yeah, you blonde perverted freak!" Guni added.  
"Thank you for the warm welcome," he growled sarcastically. "I am here to deliver a message from my darling Riho." He knelt down beside Shido and lifted his face up.  
"Let him go!" She pulled the hammer back as she got Cain in her sight.  
"Riho wants you to met her at *the* grave tomorrow night. And-" He pressed his lips to the younger vampire's lips. Shido went wide-eyed, too shocked to struggle. Cain him into the wall. "She specifically told me to give you that and not to harm you." He disappeared.  
"Shido, are you-"  
"I'm fine, Guni." He got up and said softly to himself, "Tomorrow night...that grave."  
"What will you do? Will you kill her?" The little green urban fairy looked unusually concerned. "Shido?"  
"I'm going to try to get her back. Yayoi, do you mind?"  
She shook her head and took off her scarf. "Will you be all right for tomorrow?"  
He whispered against her throat, "Yes, I will." Shido sank his fangs into her soft flesh.  
  
"He's coming right?" There was a tinge of anger in her voice. When he heard it, he knelt and pressed his face into her back. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."  
"What are you going to do?"  
She shivered as his lips brushed her spine. "I'm going to severe our ties once and for all." Cain's hands locked around her waist and she covered them with hers. "Are you...afraid of losing me?"  
"My darling." Goosebumps covered her entire body. "Riho..."  
Riho pulled away, turned around, and went to her knees. "You don't need to worry. I'm not like you or Shido." She undid the buttons on his shirt and pressed her face to his chest. "I've been through so much in the last few years and now..."  
Cain let his short slip off before wrapping his arms around her. "What, darling?"  
"I'm finally happy." Her tears trickled down his chest. She began to kiss the saltiness and stopped at his navel. "Finally." Her arms went around his waist and her face was pressed even harder to his navel.  
"Yes." He brushed her hair back to untie the ribbon that held the fabric of her shirt together. "Riho." Cain lifted her up, letting her shirt slide off her small body. She rested her head on his shoulder and pressed her bare chest to his.  
"Will you ever..." When their eyes met and their lips touched, any doubts were wiped from away from Riho's mind. She pulled him closer and removed the tie from his hair. It tumbled delicately to his shoulders and she buried her face in the golden waves. "Don't ever leave me."  
"No, darling." It was almost dawn. Everything in Riho's body told him that. He stood carefully so as not to disturb her and carried her to their coffin. She would grow stronger, faster than a normal vampire, and soon she would be able to keep up with him. "Riho, darling, you are so special," he breathed in her ear. Her body was as still as death now, but her hand slid down his chest in an oddly sensual way. "All my best wishes go with you tomorrow." Cain kissed her throat and settled in beside her.  
  
The sky was clear with a crescent moon hanging high. Shido slipped his sunglasses off and looked around. Riho still hadn't appeared. He turned back to the grave. *Riho's parents...her first broken heart.* He put some flowers on the ground.  
"People meet and people part."  
"Riho." He turned to face her.  
"What is a better place to part than the place of meeting?"  
"None." She quirked an eyebrow at him, awaiting a better answer. "No parting is the better place."  
"So you've changed your life's philosophy? I don't believe that. Shido, you never changed in the two years I was around you. It's inconceivable that you would change so much in just a week."  
"You've changed drastically."  
Riho's cheeks filled with color as if she had been slapped. "I'm younger. I've never been anything and I'm not set in my ways. You've been a vampire too long to change!"  
He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to him. "I haven't changed. I've just realized-" Shido was slammed against the tombstone.  
"It's too late for that! Now, I came here to part like a civilized person, but if you keep pushing me-"  
"I can't stop you," he said as he stood and held out his right hand, palm up. "I just want to know why."  
"You know why. Cain showed you, remember? But now it's finally over."  
"What is?" Shido's hand dropped to his side.  
"The sadness, the loneliness, the nonacceptance, the self-deprivation. Goodbye, Mr. Shido." She began to walk away.  
"Wait!"  
"Perhaps our paths will cross again, but for now, I will go into my eternal darkness. Farewell." Riho disappeared.  
Shido stayed there, even when the clouds rolled in and a gentle rain began to fall. 


End file.
